


𝕮𝖆𝖙𝖋𝖎𝖘𝖍

by Miraculous_Max (Maximilian_Alexander)



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir-centric, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Pirate, Alternate Universe - Royalty, Alya Césaire Is The Best, Arranged Marriage, Attempted Kidnapping, Badass Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Chat Noir To The Rescue, Engagement, F/M, Falling In Love, Heroic Adrien Agreste, Kidnapping, Marinette Dupain-Cheng Is a Savage, Marinette Dupain-Cheng is a Smart Cookie, Marinette Dupain-Cheng-centric, Mentioned Gabriel Agreste, Non-Period Typical Attitudes, Original villain - Freeform, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Period Typical Attitudes, Rating May Change, Seer Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Slow Build, Swordfighting, Witchcraft
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-11
Updated: 2019-07-11
Packaged: 2020-06-26 03:56:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,194
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19760098
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Maximilian_Alexander/pseuds/Miraculous_Max
Summary: Captain Chat Noir was a pirate to be feared. Daring, charming, and dangerous, he was known to pull off the most impossible feats. He is one to put his mind into impossible tasks and come out victorious, that is for certain.Surprisingly, for all his amazing accomplishments, none of them had prepared him for his latest task.What started as one of Chat Noir’s most remarkable heists, ended as a rescue mission. King Tom Dupain makes a deal with one of the most notorious criminals who sails the seas; riches, land, and unlimited supplies, all in exchange for the return of his darling daughter, Princess Marinette.





	1. Part I

**Author's Note:**

> What's this?
> 
> ? <*))➤<
> 
> Oh!
> 
> ! <º))➤<
> 
> A Pirate AU!

In all his seven years of being a pirate, Adrien had _never_ been truly stunned enough to fully break character. 

The infamous Chat Noir had a reputation to uphold. Handsome though he may be, he was frequently described as a creature that crawled out of the very depths of _hell_. He showed no mercy, took pleasure in watching his victims beg, and was considered a strategical genius, although his strategies were borderline suicidal at times. (They always work, didn’t they?) With how often he danced upon the fine line between the dead and living, he even had rumors circling the far kingdoms of being immortal. 

Of course, what not many know is that pirates were typically theatrical. A lot of the fear they invoked from the masses was brought about by intentional performances, usually for the purpose of making _their_ lives easier. Black Beard was a stellar example; Adrien knows the man likes to set the ends of his beard aflame before pillaging merchant ships, and _really_ , who in their right mind would not comply to the demands of a man whose _face_ is framed by _hellfire?_

Yes, their performances may be considered overdramatic, but it’s effective. 

Which is why Adrien has never truly allowed himself to break character. As Chat Noir, he is dangerous, cocky, and clever. His crimes are typically large-scale, like defeating an entire fleet of 63 naval ships with just his one, or single-handedly taking control of an entire town and turning it into a pirate rest stop by faking the mayor’s death and impersonating his son. 

Hah. That last one is definitely one of his favourite adventures.

His crimes are big and loud and meant to truly broadcast just how much of a threat Chat Noir truly is, going hand-in-hand with the persona he had created. Naturally, this led him to, at _some_ point, decide that robbing the seaside palace belonging to King Tom Dupain and Queen Sabine Cheng of Merveilleux was a _fine_ idea. And, of course, kidnapping their only daughter to ensure a safe departure, just to add a little pizazz. 

Things did not go as planned, however. It was rare when things don’t go as planned.

It was even rarer to find a _King_ , the type of men Adrien was used to being stoic bastards, break down into messy tears and bow at his feet.

“Please return my daughter,” he begged. “Please, I will give you anything you desire, you will be allowed to leave peacefully, but _please_ , do not take my beautiful little girl away from me.”

Adrien, along with every member of his crew, were _stunned_.

“Uh,” Adrien— wait, no— _Chat Noir_ said, darting his eyes around the vast throne room. “Are– Are you _crying?_ Please stop doing that.”

For some reason, this makes King Tom sob even harder, leaning his head even further to the ground until his bow could go no lower.

“No, just. No. Get up.” 

He’s aware that he’s getting flustered, but he can’t find it in himself to care. He had expected many things to happen in this heist, but for the King to immediately bow before his feet was just... _Not_ on the list of things he had considered feasible. He was wholly unprepared for this interaction, and taking a look at the faces of his crew, they look no more prepared than him.

This was just really uncomfortable.

Thankfully, Nino finally enters the throne room from the door directly behind the King, along with the three other crewmates he was given to retrieve Princess Marinette. The perfect distraction.

Nino was momentarily halted by the sight of the sobbing man in front of his Captain, but he continued to walk forward and whisper the news into his ear.

“We could not retrieve the package, sir,” he said. “We searched the entire castle. She’s nowhere to be found.”

And this is when things really started to get confusing.

“What the actual fuck,” he says, not really caring if the King hears him or not. “He’s begging for her return, Carapace. He’s already gotten news of her kidnapping, and _we_ didn’t tell him. Her Majesty was already passed out on the throne from the news. Look at her! She was like that before we even got here!”

Just as he said, Queen Sabine sat unconscious on her throne, tear tracks staining her cheeks. He’s thankful, truly, that she is no longer awake, because if she’s anything like her husband, Chat wasn’t confident that he’d be able to handle their combined blubbering. 

“I don’t know what to tell you, Captain,” Nino says, grimacing down at the sobbing father. “It wasn’t us.”

That _drastically_ changes things.

Without Princess Marinette _physically_ being in their possession, they cannot promise to drop her at the nearest port in return for their safe departure. A lie like that could end up with the King believing that they either kept her or killed her, breaking the deal, and would result in him sending out every single ship at his disposal in order to eradicate Chat Noir and his crew. A fleet of 63 ships was one thing, but having _hundreds_ of ships on their tail? Really, _really_ bad.

“Okay, that’s _enough_ ,” Chat Noir snaps at the King. “Get up! Stop your crying and begging, I’m _sick of it!_ Are you a king or are you an infant? Up, up!”

King Tom scrambles to right himself, once again surprising the pirates. It was difficult to tell, with him pressed so far to the ground, but now it was evident that the man was easily the tallest _and_ the beefiest man in the room. However, with his eyes so red, and the way he sniffles miserably, he still somehow managed to make himself seem rather small.

A part of Adrien is envious of Princess Marinette. Seven years ago, he remembers the way his own father had reacted in the face of his only son's disappearance. Cold, impassive. Just like most noblemen. 

“We _do not_ have your daughter,” he says, clearly catching the King by surprise. “I won’t deny that we _planned_ it, but unfortunately, that didn’t seem to pan out. We are only here to take whatever valuables we can find, and _leave_.”

“There is nothing more valuable in this palace than my beloved daughter,” the man whispers to himself. “I... I do not care what you take. Strip the walls bare for all I care. It does not matter.”

The King turns, drags his feet as he approaches his wife, and kneels before her. He takes her hands, buries his face into her lap, and shakes.

Adrien knows he isn’t the only person in the room that feels very, _very_ guilty at the sight. They may not have personally kidnapped the girl themselves, but there’s no denying that _if_ she had been taken just recently, then the ones responsible for poking holes in the castle’s defense and making her kidnapping possible was _them_. 

“Your guard is incompetent,” Chat says, causing the King to look over his shoulder. “They rely on numbers to make up for the fact that, in one-on-one confrontations, they fight predictably with the use of chivalrous technique that typically leaves them open to attack. They have no concept of the idea of fighting dirty, their speed suffers for the sake of accuracy despite the former _clearly_ being more important than the latter, they have no control over their emotions and their presentation, which makes them appear as weak as they are, and their uniforms are impractical and a hinderance in their performance. They favour—”

“ _What good does that do me?!_ ”

The King was towering him in seconds, his roar loud enough to make the walls tremor. In that instant, and _just_ for that instant, Adrien felt genuine fear, and had taken a step back at the furious gleam in the King’s eyes.

“My daughter is _gone!_ My guard has _already_ failed! What use is this knowledge to me when the _worst_ possible outcome has already been reached? I cannot pull off a miracle and get them in shape fast enough to save her! By that time, she could already be _dead!_ There was no ransom, no demands, they must be... She could be...”

Just as King Tom began to wilt as his mind ran wild with the possible fates of his daughter, Chat Noir intervened with a confident smirk.

“True, you could not pull off that miracle. Your guard is incompetent and have _no chance_ at retrieving her. However,” Chat’s grin is wide and devious. “ _We_ do. Tell me, your Majesty, you _are_ capable of paying in more than just things like diamonds and gold, are you not? Say, immunity in your country, land, unlimited supplies, ships, and more?”

“I, er,” the King stutters, opening and closing his mouth reminicent to a fish. “I can only go as far as to promise pardon for past crimes, but as for the rest of your demands... Yes. Yes, I am capable of that.”

“Well then,” Chat Noir holds his hand out. “I think we can come to a deal, don’t you agree? Land, supplies, ships, and official pardon for our past crimes... in exchange for the return of your daughter.”

Without even a second of hesitation, the King takes hold of the Captain’s hand, shaking it firmly.

“Deal.”


	2. Part II

Marinette had known she was going to be kidnapped that day. Not many in the castle believed her to be anything more than the kind, clumsy princess that she appeared to be, but the _truth_ was that she was extremely observant, and as a result, extremely good at predicting what may happen in the near future.

It’s how she knew that the Prince of Vipravia would ask for her hand in marriage, and how she knew that their (or rather, his _relative’s_ ) true intentions was to absorb her family’s kingdom and tax it to high heaven under their rule.

It’s how she knew that the infamous pirate, Captain Chat Noir, was fast approaching directly towards their palace, and would arrive three hours past midnight directly after the engagement party. The perfect time to infiltrate the castle, take the royal guard by surprise, steal as many valuables they can carry, and kidnap the princess to ensure their departure. 

She had packed her things in advance, and waited.

It is true that, with her knowledge of their incoming arrival, she could easily just tell the guards in advance and capture the wicked man once and for all. _However_ , she would lose a very important opportunity in doing so. 

By opportunity, she means the chance to delay the wedding long enough for her to come up with a good, solid reason to break it off. 

Because, while charming he may be, she _refuses_ to marry Prince Luka. The man himself is sweet, and genuinely seems to adore her, but his _father_ was another story altogether. The King of Vipravia was a disgusting man who had no respect for women, believed himself to be smarter than he truly is, had no regard for the health and safety of his subjects, and had the _shortest_ temper she has ever seen.

And, for some reason, she seems to be the _only_ person aware that, immediately after the wedding and the paperwork to absorb her kingdom is complete, the King plans to _murder_ his son, her, and the rest of her family. Just to ensure everything belongs to him, and no one else.

Because, _clearly_ , that disgusting creature tends to forget that he isn’t an immortal god, and would need to pass down the kingdom to a living heir some point in the future. And, currently, Luka is his _only_ eligible living heir. 

Like she said. The stupid man believes he’s smarter than he truly is.

So, yes, she packed her things and waited to get kidnapped by a crew of very dangerous pirates, all for the safety of her kingdom, her family, and her dear friend Luka. 

Unfortunately, she can’t predict _everything_. 

For example, she had no way of predicting that, despite the official announcement of her and Prince Luka’s engagement, his father would _still_ go out of his way and order his royal navy to kidnap her themselves.

By Gods, does she hate that bastard.

“I’m so sorry about this, Princess Marinette,” said a young lady. She was petite, with short blond hair and pretty blue eyes. Despite her adorable appearance, she wore a men’s naval uniform, which was truly a surprise, given the Vipravian King’s attitude towards women. “We’re just following orders, truly. I’d loosen the binds for you, but...”

“But you’re the only other female on a ship full of haughty naval officers, and disobeying may result in unspeakable torture that would be excused as punishment,” Marinette finishes for her. “I understand. Although I must wonder, why are you here, then? Or, more specifically, _how?_ ”

The young lady sighs, as though expecting this question. She glances behind her shoulder, silently listening for any incoming footsteps through the door, before continuing.

“I have managed to pretend that I am a young boy supporting a single mother and younger sister back at home. They believe I am eleven years old, an only son, and mute. I’m short enough for it to be plausible, my cheeks are round enough too. But, if they were to hear me speak...”

“The ruse would unravel. That’s a... delicate situation.”

“Indeed, that’s one way of putting it.”

Marinette leans back into the chair with a thoughtful hum, ignoring the way the ropes around her wrists twist and tighten in response. The lady’s ruse would surely end when a few years go by and she shows no signs of aging, so either this is a temporary arrangement, or she’s desperate. Desperate for _what_ , exactly, is not yet clear, however...

Marinette has a guess. She has no concrete proof, of course, and no reason for believing this theory to be true, but she does remember a young maiden that Princess Juleka would often mention. A small, blue-eyed blonde, who was skilled in her work of mixing fragrances and concocting quality perfumes. A year ago, however, this maiden had been (she very much suspects _falsely_ ) accused of witchcraft, and in fear of her life being taken from her, she had disappeared, leaving no traces behind.

Princess Juleka, though she clearly held strong affections for this perfumer, did not weep nor worry over her disappearance. In fact, she had seemed to have anticipated _everything_ ; from the accusations of witchcraft, to the young lady’s vanishing act.

Marinette’s guess is that Juleka had prepared a false identity for the young lady. She also strongly believes the reason Juleka had predicted the accusations was because, behind closed doors, the perfumer was more than simply a fine friend of the Princess’, but her _lover_. 

And Princess Juleka knew, sooner or later, their relationship would be discovered by her father, the King. There’s no doubt the _swine_ would throw a fit over the discovery, and would have immediately come up with a reason to execute the ‘temptress,’ as he would call her. That reason would be witchcraft, because unfortunately for the king, homosexual affairs with non-royalty was _common_ , generally never seen as a reason to throw a temper tantrum.

After all, the missing Queen Anarka was known to be deeply in love with a female sailor, and their story is a beloved one in the Vipravian Kingdom. Political marriages are well-known to be simply that: Political. 

Marinette sighs. She’s getting off track. The focus, here, is the true identity of the lady soldier, and if her hypothesis was correct, then that would mean she is...

“Rose Lavillant.”

The disguised woman straightens up in surprise, though quickly tries to hide it. Unfortunately, she does not seem very good at controlling her expression, much less her body language.

_That_ was proof enough.

“I must say, out of all the identities Juleka could have prepared for you, I wouldn’t have expected she’d hide you in plain sight,” Marinette says. “This is _beyond_ dangerous, but I will admit, it’s... clever. Who would suspect a wanted witch working as a soldier?”

“I’m no witch,” Rose says softly, looking pained and miserable. “I’ve committed no crimes. My lovely flower, she had planned for me to move into her chambers as her personal handmaiden. We did not expect her father to have spies... Not many in the palace are truly loyal to him. It surprised me.”

“But not Juleka,” Marinette surmised.

“No, not my flower. She was prepared. How could you know this? She swore to me she would not tell a soul, and she has always kept her promises to me.”

“I simply guessed,” Marinette answered truthfully. “Juleka has spoken of you before, and _I_ , of all people, am aware of how _evil_ the Vipravian patriarch truly is. I only needed your confirmation.”

Rose goes quiet, leaving an awkward stretch of silence between them that’s only broken by the rocking of the ship, the creaks of the wooden beams. 

“Prince Luka has mentioned your frightening intellect, before,” Rose finally says. “Juleka has only mentioned your kindness, and how funny you are. She has many stories of you, but they’re unlike the ones her brother would tell. I’m beginning to understand what he meant, when he said people often underestimate you.”

Marinette laughs, rolling her eyes. “Oh, please, he didn’t tell you that stupid rant of his about how my brain works, did he? You poor soul.”

“About how you see the world as a massive puzzle, you mean?” Rose smiles. “Yes, it did sound rather humorous at the time. Frankly, you may be as smart as he says, but I still think his theory is a bit silly. After all, you’re still the lady Juleka said was late to her own birthday celebration, and had arrived barefoot and muddy.”

“I was _seven_ years old!” 

“Seven year olds aren’t _late_ to their own birthdays!”

Marinette had laughed openly, while Rose, having grown accustomed to her mute ways, had bitten her lip to keep her own joy contained. Her tremoring shoulders, however, she couldn’t do much to still, nor could she hide the blinding smile.

And then, with the sound of descending footsteps echoing behind the door at Rose’s back, the mood had all-too-abruptly died. 

Knuckles rapped against the door.

“Switching out, Cameron, you’re on kitchen duty next.”

Rose opens the door, face blank, and nods silently towards the taller man as she passes by him. She doesn’t look back even once, and all Marinette can do is look on as her only ally disappears out of sight.

Of course, she can’t help but feel infinitely reassured to know that she _has_ an ally at all. She had been prepared to be kidnapped by enemies who would give her no sympathy. She had been prepared to hold her head high and simply deal with it. She had been prepared to accept the worst of cases, in the event that things take a bad turn.

It feels good to know that she has _someone_ in her corner, there to help her if things truly do go south.

**Author's Note:**

> As I've said on my Tumblr, I'm not 100% certain if this is going to be a story I'll commit to. I do genuinely enjoy writing it, though, and I already have gotten quite a bit more of it finished. I won't make any promises of updating regularly, but we'll see how this goes.


End file.
